Tree with Jurassic roots unveiled
Sir David Attenborough planted a Wollemi Pine at Kew Gardens
A rare tree dating back millions of years has been planted at Kew's Royal Botanical Gardens by wildlife expert Sir David Attenborough.
The Wollemi Pine, once thought to have been extinct for 200 million years, was recently discovered in Australia, sparking a major conservation project.
It is thought the pines populated the ancient supercontinent Gondwana when dinosaurs walked the earth.
The tree will also be displayed at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London.
Secret location
Planting the rare tree Sir David said: "How marvellous and exciting that we should have discovered this rare survivor from such an ancient past.
"It is romantic, I think, that something has survived 200 million years unchanged."
On the same day Actor Kenneth Branagh was to plant a Wollemi Pine at Wakehurst Place, Kew's country garden in Sussex, where seeds are already preserved in the Millennium Seed Bank.
A tall conifer, it is closely related to the monkey puzzle tree, and has an unusual pattern of branching, with the mature foliage having two ranks of leaves along the branches.
Fewer than 100 adult trees are known to exist in the wild and the exact location of Wollemi groves remain a secret.
Sir David Attenborough planted a Wollemi Pine at Kew Gardens
A rare tree dating back millions of years has been planted at Kew's Royal Botanical Gardens by wildlife expert Sir David Attenborough.
The Wollemi Pine, once thought to have been extinct for 200 million years, was recently discovered in Australia, sparking a major conservation project.
It is thought the pines populated the ancient supercontinent Gondwana when dinosaurs walked the earth.
The tree will also be displayed at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London.
Secret location
Planting the rare tree Sir David said: "How marvellous and exciting that we should have discovered this rare survivor from such an ancient past.
"It is romantic, I think, that something has survived 200 million years unchanged."
On the same day Actor Kenneth Branagh was to plant a Wollemi Pine at Wakehurst Place, Kew's country garden in Sussex, where seeds are already preserved in the Millennium Seed Bank.
A tall conifer, it is closely related to the monkey puzzle tree, and has an unusual pattern of branching, with the mature foliage having two ranks of leaves along the branches.
Fewer than 100 adult trees are known to exist in the wild and the exact location of Wollemi groves remain a secret.
